by Jennifer T. on Growing up in a Vietnamese household, I am very picky about what I eat when I go out to Vietnamese restaurants. I always compare everything to my mom's cooking and whether it's too bland or has been Americanized. Le Viet is pretty close to hitting home. They have dishes that are not found on any other area restaurant's menus, and they taste pretty authentic. We started with the minced clams with crisps, a dish my mom had made before that I have never seen on any other menu. Then, I had the thit kho, or pork claypot, which I have tried at every restaurant that offers it, and while the flavors were not at strong as mom's, it was pretty close, and a huge portion. The boyfriend had cari ga, or curried chicken in broth, which came with the option of noodles, rice or bread. He chose the noodles, and while it came out weirdly arranged (noodles plated on 1 dish, soupy cari ga in a bowl ready to overflow - how are you supposed to eat it?), it was tasty. The pluses of Le Viet is that the interior is nicer than any other Vietnamese restaurant in town. Sometimes I am afraid my out of town friends will be scared by the interiors of the other Vietnamese places. Le Viet will be getting a liquor license (it was BYOB when I went) with a fully stocked bar. For a few more dollars per dish, it is worth the treat to sit in a very beautifully decorated and clean restaurant. The servers were knowledgeable and friendly All in all, Le Viet serves good food, has a nice atmosphere to bring out of towners to, and is conveniently located. Try the minced clams appetizer because you can't find it anywhere else!
by Cheri Fedder on Unbelievable! I have never had such a bad experience at a hotel. My rating for a hotel is a simple equation. (service+ambiance+cleanliness)/price + (wow factor)/(ratio of rooms to staff) = # of stars. This is how this place got the single star. (0+1.5+1.5)/3 + 1/1000 = 1.001. rateclubs doesn't offer 1/1000 of a star. Service = 0 because no one here besides the bellboy lifted a finger. If you had a concern, no one cared. After complaint #3, they offered to 'log it.' I don't care what they do with the complaint as long as the recognize it and address it. Neither of which they did. The amount of negativity in this hotel was insane. Every corner you turned was an upset individual. We were given the wrong room so had to have too many people squeezed into a room with a single king bed. This was a BEDroom. There was a bed and about 3 square feet of walking space. I'm not being facetious. We had to have room service on an ironing board because the only other place to put down the tray was on the bed. The sheets, however, were nice. I want their comforter. The other guests in this hotel are a bit strange which I guess doesn't say much about me. They all look like KISS fans. If you want to find the most LA scene you could possibly find, its here on Sundays at the pool. Roosevelt pool party WREAKS of Los Angeles rock n' roll. That comes with the attitude, body, and drugs. Everyone's strung up, but they look beautiful. Don't even attempt to walk in with clothes on and dare not be that one fool that shows up at the pool to swim your laps. You will regret it. As guests of the hotel we are entitled to bring a non guest to the bars in this hotel (Tropicana and Teddy's). My guest was not allowed to enter. Why? "It doesn't matter" is pretty much what they said. What it came down to is that this place is just so cool that they just want to say "no." If you are a masochist and truly feel that rejection is seductive, please do stay here. You'll love it.
